This invention generally relates to an edible article which is opaque during cold storage, but which becomes transparent when warmer (e.g., during licking, sucking or by natural warming in the air). A second aspect of the invention includes placing an indicia or a xe2x80x9csurprisexe2x80x9d within the product, which is revealed as the product is warmed. The edible article is designed to be opaque at storage temperatures below about xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. The article becomes substantially transparent at eating temperatures of about 1 to 10xc2x0 C. warmer than xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. and thus within a range of about xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x928xc2x0 C. However by appropriate formulation design, different opacity temperatures may be achieved. The edible articles of the invention thus are frozen confections employing controllably transparent formulations.
In a preferred embodiment a surprise or indicia of some sort is placed within the pop so that it becomes visible as the bulk of the article becomes substantially transparent.
There is a continuing need for novel products in the area of frozen confections. The invention, thus, provides an edible article such as an ice pop which is opaque during storage but becomes substantially transparent at eating temperatures and above.
Physically, tap water and aqueous solutions liberate dissolved gas on freezing, the liberated gas being one cause of opacity of ice cubes and frozen confections. Water ices and similar frozen aqueous based novelties containing sugars are mainly opaque due to differences in the refractive index of ice crystals and of the matrix of frozen sugar solution.
WO 93/21776 published Nov. 11, 1993 deals with edible ice pops having partial opacity and transparency, where the transparency is produced by insuring that the bulk of the product is in the non-crystalline state. In addition, the entire article may be coated with a thin transparent layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,502,006 to Alvord issued Jul. 22, 1924 and deals with an opaque coating on a dry room temperature lollipop candy. When the coating is removed, it reveals underlying writing which is placed on the inside of the candy. In addition, soap constructions are disclosed as being suitable for use.
EP 0447733 published Sep. 25, 1991 deals with a candy having a different core and at least a partially transparent outer portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,929 issued Oct. 27, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,370 issued Dec. 25, 1990 deal with producing clear ice products and ice products with patterns produced by the selective use of vacuum and/or deoxygenation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,866 issued Feb. 27, 1996 deals with transparent ice products.
Ice confections having controlled transparency at eating temperatures thus are seen to be desirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to produce a water ice formulation which becomes transparent in relation to selected temperatures including: selecting a formulation which has a sufficient proportion of ice crystals at a temperature of a standard cold storage freezer to render the formulation substantially opaque and insuring that the proportion of ice crystals melt either during consumption, or in the time between removal of the product from cold storage and consumption.
Yet another object is to produce a controlled transparency combination frozen water ice product including:
a) A first material serving as an indicia within the interior of the product said indicia becoming visible as the transparency of the product increases; and
b) A second material serving as an enrobing agent for said indicia to substantially encompass said indicia, said second material being capable of increasing in transparency with increased temperature.
The above objects are achieved by this invention which provides an edible article having a temperature below about xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C., which is the usual storage temperature for a frozen confection. The major portion of which is transparent at a temperature of about xe2x88x9216xc2x0 C. and above, wherein the bulk of the transparency is produced by a non-crystalline state.
This invention can also be applied to storage temperatures other than xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. For instance, a product can be formulated to be opaque at a storage temperature of xe2x88x9216xc2x0 C., while being substantially transparent at xe2x88x9214xc2x0 C.
In general, more dissolved solutes reduce the amount of ice present at a given temperature. A combination of the amount and the composition of the dissolved solutes can modify the amount of ice at various temperatures. For example, 52 wt % sucrose in 48 wt % water has about 22% ice at xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C., and all of the ice has just melted at about xe2x88x927xc2x0 C., 52 wt % fructose with 48 wt % water has about 10% ice at xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C., and all of the ice has just melted at about xe2x88x9213xc2x0 C. Other dissolved solutes include sugars, glycerol, alcohol and their derivatives.
It is preferred to add a transparent structuring agent to the composition. If no structuring agent or ice is present, the product is a thick liquid, which is often not desirable. Examples of structuring agents are materials that significantly thicken the ice-free liquid, or form a gel. Examples of gelling agents include, but are not limited to, gelatin, iota-carrageenan, kappa-carrageenan, pectins, alginates, and locust bean gum. Some of these are set thermally (i.e., they gel below a defined temperature), e.g., gelatin or locust bean gum. Other agents require specific ions to gel (e.g., calcium ions are often used to gel iota-carrageenan, or low methoxy pectins). One skilled in the art can determine a suitable structuring agent and incorporation level through consideration of the required texture, setting process (thermal or ionic), and any additional requirements (e.g., the type and level of ions, pH, sugar concentration, strength of gel required). These considerations are well documented in the literature. Some mixtures of these structuring agents can also be used. Not all gels are transparent. The transparency of a gel for use in this invention can be determined by visual observation.
The invention also includes any frozen desserts and optionally products intended to be hand held may have a stick positioned within the product. Also, a frozen confection may contain a portion that includes the invention. For instance, a layer of a composite confection may exhibit the opaque to transparent transition, which the remainder of the confection does not.